Peanut Butter Substitutes and Alternatives

Peanut allergy is the second most common allergy and it occurs in approximately 1 in 50 children. Some highly sensitive children can have a severe anaphylactic reaction to as little as 1/2000th of a single peanut. Reactions can include itchy skin or hives, tightening and itching of the throat, nausea, swelling and in the worst case scenario, anaphylaxis. Many people think that ingestion is the only way to trigger an allergic reaction. However, a reaction can be spread by skin contact, eye contact and inhalation of food particles containing peanuts. A large portion of schools have a strict “nut-free” policy that prohibits peanuts on school grounds. This is because of the life-threatening reaction many children can have.

I share a few recipes that contain peanut butter and I am asked frequently what could be substituted in place of peanuts or peanut butter. So, I did some research and it turns out that there are a few alternatives and they can typically be found at your local supermarket. I have listed below some alternatives to Peanut Butter and recipes to use as a guide for those with nut allergies or have a nut-free school policy.

Sunflower Seed Butter

This alternative is the closest mimic to peanut butter. For those in need of an entirely nut-free option, this is perfect. It is smooth and spreadable and still has that nutty flavour. It can pretty much be used the same way you would use peanut butter.

THREE-INGREDIENT SUN-BUTTER COOKIES – These are typically made with peanut butter, but just by replacing the PB with Sun Butter, they are suitable for those with a peanut allergy. Find the recipe via coffee & quinoa.

CRUNCHY APPLE AND SUN BUTTER SANDWICHES – A good snack for morning tea, these apple sandwiches are a yummy, crisp and sweet snack. Find the recipe via vivian and me.

Coconut Butter

Coconut butter is completely nut free. It is a thick paste made from shredded coconut. The benefit of this butter is that it is naturally very sweet but surprisingly not bad for you. Companies are now making flavoured versions of coconut butter so that your kids will love having it in their sandwiches.

HOMEMADE COCONUT BUTTER – I couldn’t easily find coconut butter at the major supermarkets, however it is very easy to make:

Simply add a packet of shredded coconut to your food processor. You will need the whole packet this process will not work with small volumes.

Process on high until smooth and runny. It will start to look runny after 8 minutes, however, continue to process for 10-15 minutes until it’s completely smooth.

Pour into a clean jar and cool. As it cools it will harden.

COCONUT TRUFFLES – These only take minutes to make! I wouldn’t put these in the lunchbox everyday, but they are definitely a special treat for the kids. Find the recipe my whole food life.

Soybean Butter

Soybean butter is extremely similar to peanut butter in regards to texture and flavour, but has significantly less fat. It is made out of soybeans and is safe for nut-free schools.

SOY BUTTER AND JAM SANDWICH – Replace Peanut Butter in a PB & Jam Sandwich and you have a yummy sandwich for your little ones.

Tahini

TAHINI & WHOLEGRAIN MUSTARD CRACKERS -These tahini and wholegrain mustard crackers are paleo friendly and contain no tree nuts. They do contain sesame seeds so make sure to check with your school that these are okay! Find the recipe Eat Drink Paleo.

Hummus

Hummus is great paired with veggies and salad. It is generally made from chickpeas, tahini (from sesame seeds), lemon juice, salt, & garlic. However, always check the label as some may contain traces of nuts.

CARROT STICKS WITH HUMMUS – I often make up batches of homemade hummus to keep in the fridge. I like mine with a little extra garlic, the beauty of this recipe is you can adjust it to suit your taste ie if your hummus is thicker than you’d like then add more lemon juice or oil to thin it out and make it creamier. Here is my hummus recipe.

Carrot and hummus is the perfect healthy combination. Add some celery sticks as well. Tahini is also a great dip if you don’t like the taste of hummus.

GREEK CHICKEN AND SALAD WRAP – These wraps are full of flavour and colour. The kids love them! Find the recipe cooking ways.

SOME OF MY RECIPES THAT CONTAIN PEANUT BUTTER

I would suggest replacing the 1/2 cup peanut butter with sunflower seed butter.

EASY & YUMMY ENERGY BALLS – One recipe I see that many readers are printing over this back to school seasons is my no-bake energy balls. View recipe here.

LUNCH BOX SOLUTIONS COOKBOOKS

Filled with 30 quick and easy recipe, each with full colour photos. All recipes are Gluten Free, Dairy Free Preservative / Additive free, Refined Sugar free and Nut free. These recipes are suitable for the freezer, tasty, healthy and suitable for all ages.

A mum of three who has a passion for organising. Kat shows us how she stays in control at home sharing cleaning tips, organising ideas, printable charts and more. She shows us what she packs the kids for lunch plus many family friendly recipes.

3 comments

Anne-MarieMarch 3, 2017 - 6:27 AM

Thank you so much Katrina for this post.

As a mum with a child who has a severe peanut allergy I would cringe when seeing lunchbox recipe ideas that contained peanuts or peanut butter, as I am sure many peanut items unintentionally make their way to nut free schools.

I myself LOVE peanuts and peanut butter and before we discovered that our Son (at only 1 years of age) was anaphylactic to them I used to peanuts or peanut butter in many of my recipes. Now (8 years on) we don’t have any peanut products in the house.

Also, having worked in the food industry for many years I have seen food manufactures go through many changes with this allergic epademic. I used to think it was ‘over the top’ untill it became a problem for us and I am so grateful for the diligence and care that food manufacturers undertake in processing their products to avoid cross contamination.

We don’t know why this generation of children is so effected by allergies, hopefully soon we will have an answer.

In the mean time, thank you to all the parents who understand and appreciate this as being a real life threatening problem, and thank you Katrina for posting school safe alternatives.

Thank you for this post!! So useful. My kids don’t have allergies, but our school is nut free and most articles about lunch box ideas have nut recipes in them. I am going to try all these suggestions – amazing!!

Thanks for posting this Kat. My daughter has allergies to both nuts and eggs. I came across “Notnuts” when it was being marketed outside a health food shop. It’s a butter made of mung (green) beans and it is free from nuts, gluten, dairy and soy. They make a few different versions just like other nut butters: smooth, crunchy and chocolate.

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Katrina Springer, The Organised Housewife. Gold Coast, QLD

I share a daily dose of domestic advice to make a mums life simpler and tidier. If you are struggling, you can gain back the control, to have a home you enjoy spending time in and create calm to replace the chaos. Read more.

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